Pittsburgh weather: Another 90-degree day expected at the end of the year?

Pittsburgh (KDKA) – I’ve reached out to the local NWS offices to double-check their definition of heat wave. I was told and I thought Fred at the NWS said three 90 degree days with temperatures never going below 70.

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It’s not that simple, and in fact, there are heat waves in the fall and spring that don’t even require 90°C.

Anyway, feel free to say that this is a heat wave after today’s temperature reached 90 degrees.

Today should be the third consecutive 90-degree angle. If we get to the 90-degree mark, that will be the fifth and possibly the last of the year.

Why do I say that?

Well, historically, even though we hit the 90s as late as October 4th, the lion’s share of 90-degree days occur in June, July, and August.

The average date for the last 90 degrees of the year is August 24 in Pittsburgh and records go back to 1875. If you look at the time when records were kept only at the airport, the average date is even older than that, coming in on August 16.

The last 90-degree day at the airport is on September 30th, and that was in 1953.

Since 2000, the Pittsburgh area has reached the 90-degree mark only 11 times a year on or after this day. The last time we did that was in 2019.

Looking at the forecast, temperatures will drop on Thursday and we will continue to see temperatures at or below seasonal averages for the rest of the week. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects the strong chance for cooler-than-normal conditions to persist over the next two weeks before we start to see warmer-than-normal weather in the last week of September.

It all comes together to give the chance that the ’90s after today a very low chance.

Going back to today’s weather, the hot and humid weather will give way to scattered rain chances in the evening. Evening storms may see a storm or two due to strong winds.

The storm opportunity continues tomorrow, and although we are not included in the risk of severe weather on Thursday, I think that will change as the opportunity for fast-moving storms continues.

Today’s highs should reach lows into the 90’s with lunchtime temperatures in the mid 80’s.

When it’s hot, it won’t be too humid to start the day but humidity levels should be high throughout the day.

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